[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6681856,"mediaKeyId","2382984-6f3dfc3fd67fc713eb591a27a3353f77","parentId",2382984,"title","Task force declines to recommend November 2025 climate bond after EIP briefing; staff to deliver narrowed project list","audioSeconds",1237,"startMs",2355000,"endMs",3592000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382984-6f3dfc3fd67fc713eb591a27a3353f77&start=2355&end=3592","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382984-6f3dfc3fd67fc713eb591a27a3353f77/thumbnail_2355000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6681856/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Task-force-declines-to-recommend-November-2025-climate-bond-after-EIP-briefing-staff-to-deliver-narrowed-project-list","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681856-e550c7080d38d4ded4ae9237ce4353bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148456&Signature=JflQ1iNDUlNKQVZmZ-efQ0JZkxAC8vK108cglEZshfZDCjvE-CQq0PJezilf5zDzMlOH2D4qRFUouhuBRB8kSMT2-XkgttmYOt2bv3PYqhzYnHfWdC9X5Oq3wktVeHX~kLEwMtfUAJT7RImQch~~2tuFQWdUY~8TYSdc4-5Qq94-JFMttLgHjfO5eY6bcLD8CfEJHAP2rpNLDNP12~eAaBjD5Q6z6nwHs~d-nIztfkuLypSpEnCkzL8uLWN9dfYd4vgHhxhSRwq2pdA4o3fdnyMrLDd7zLLBEpdB8x2XBIL3I-xfI40j-pwTECN2MGVtUUqNNqdxirOxagrhak8i~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","The 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force voted 12‑3‑1 on Feb. 24 to decline recommending a November 2025 general obligation bond based on projects from the Environmental Investment Plan (EIP), following an extended staff briefing and member debate over timing, public engagement and project readiness.

Zach Bauer, director of the Office of Climate Action and Resilience, summarized the EIP and the work since February 2024, describing a rapid analysis that cataloged potential climate, water, land and city‑operation projects across departments. Bauer said staff had identified a broad universe of needs — roughly $7.3 billion in projects that could be bond eligible across multiple categories — and emphasized that the initial list had no set timeframe and included long‑term needs as well as near‑term opportunities.

\"We were taking a very wide net of projects across department plans and looking at where the investments might be,\" Bauer said. He told the task force that city council had asked staff in July 2024 to prepare a comprehensive climate implementation program that would produce a more focused, two‑year set of implementation priorities and a prioritized list of bond‑eligible projects.

Bauer walked the task force through the EIP categories and highlighted bond‑eligible items staff flagged: major corridor transportation projects and active‑transportation investments in the emissions category; land acquisition (staff identified a target of up to 20,000 acres in the EIP) and stormwater resilience in the water/land category; investments in community‑facing facilities to improve resilience (recreation centers, fire stations, health centers) in the resilience category; and city‑operations upgrades (the slides showed a total $90 million need for city operations, with limited likelihood of GO bond funding).

Bauer said staff are using a prioritization tool from C40 (the ASAP tool) to score projects on greenhouse‑gas reductions, equity and feasibility, and that the office expects a focused climate implementation plan to be delivered to council in March. \"When we finish the comprehensive climate implementation plan, we will share that; it will be shared publicly through a memo to council,\" Bauer said, adding that staff would then identify which items are bond eligible for task‑force consideration.

Task‑force members pressed staff on whether the March material would include a list of projects that could be recommended for a 2025 bond. Bauer said the March work product would provide a narrowed, prioritized set of projects and that staff would be available to present more detailed guidance to the task force once that analysis is complete.

Members raised several concerns in debate. Some said a standalone, smaller 2025 bond could confuse voters and make it harder to educate the public, arguing a larger, consolidated 2026 package would secure broader support. Others argued the city should move faster on climate investments and that some shovel‑ready items could benefit from earlier voter authorization.

One task‑force member urged caution about a so‑called \"blank slate\" approach to early community engagement, warning against creating expectations that any individual community request would automatically translate to bond-funded projects. Another member asked for lifecycle carbon analyses to weigh whether proposed facilities would produce net emissions savings once construction and operations are considered; Bauer said life‑cycle analyses had not yet been completed but could be done in the future.

On motions, the task force first considered a motion to have working groups convene and review the EIP list and return with possible items for a 2025 bond at the next full meeting; that motion failed. After further discussion, a subsequent motion that the task force not recommend a November 2025 general obligation bond passed 12 in favor, 3 opposed and 1 abstention. The task force later approved the composition of work session groups (working groups) unanimously and discussed guidance and chair assignments for those working groups.

Capital Delivery Services staff told the task force they are still compiling projections about departmental burn rates and which programs might run short of funding before 2026; staff committed to provide that information when available. Robert Goode of Capital Delivery Services said the office continues to reconcile project burn‑rate projections after past years produced larger unspent balances than expected.

The task force directed staff to share the March climate implementation plan and the prioritized, bond‑eligible project list when available and to return to the task force for additional briefings on feasibility, prioritization criteria, lifecycle impacts and possible federal funding dependencies. The group also asked staff to provide updated cost estimates for projects included in the narrowed list.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force - Feb 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After a staff briefing on the Environmental Investment Plan and options for using general‑obligation bonds to fund climate and resilience projects, the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force voted not to recommend a November 2025 bond.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6681858,"City staff lays out outreach plan for 2026 bond program, asks task force to help reach neighborhoods",515,346000,861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2382984-6f3dfc3fd67fc713eb591a27a3353f77&start=346&end=861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2382984-6f3dfc3fd67fc713eb591a27a3353f77/thumbnail_346000.jpg","/articles/6681858/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/City-staff-lays-out-outreach-plan-for-2026-bond-program-asks-task-force-to-help-reach-neighborhoods","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681858-9e6381698476091c4d5213ea04608c79/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148456&Signature=ZLMso9k5w4YSwkwoYmBaeC82SPaxfTYRzncUWo9rsLVRMHA71JAM6AOXDB5pUR2QNQZkdJ6OULihLWtyv8W3kqVLH0HQo1QpGno~w~~Rf4nY-ZPmffzoe5WY24LXfo8YFCY-dAgq6BSLNp2Z-YtFKcgLqUPH9Fhve-NuOE9okbMqG2xQneXfRJ3n8kSMnEmvSH8pfb7F5KGN8Mva8FMZAqsfiMwaKQTumV2lyZA6b8cscajIfE0uiGhmTEbZ7rzgqtryn5tlFRXsjmzf3~eNGuCQusUJ9S7p0znZT3j8Iue6Ti4di2oOiIc87UrTSDPYf0kB-L~PPpGLoD8F~QNslA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Austin communications staff presented a three‑phase public engagement plan for the 2026 bond program and asked members of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force to help broaden outreach to renters, younger residents and people who do not typically attend daytime meetings.

The Communications and Public Information Office (CPIO) described Phase 1 as combined outreach and engagement to notify the task force and community about the plan; Phase 2 as data collection and analysis of community feedback; and Phase 3 as “closing the loop,” when staff will publish results and raw data. Marion Sanchez, CPIO community engagement manager, told the task force the timeline includes a March preparation period, April–May field outreach (flyers, tabling, paper and online surveys), a June review break, July preparation for town halls and four town halls planned for August–September, followed by summary reporting in October–November and final publishing in the following spring.

\"We're going to be out and about both in person and digitally,\" Sanchez said. She told the group staff will prepare flyers, research instruments, social media and printable materials and will provide iPads and other tools to collect input in the community.

Jessica King, chief communications director for CPIO, said a joint communications team made up of departmental communications staff will help amplify outreach through department newsletters and social channels. King said staff will also post bond information on AustinTexas.gov and the SpeakUpAustin portal.

To expand reach beyond typical daytime audiences, staff offered three tools for task‑force members: promotion on official channels; promotion of working‑group meetings open to the public; and a reporting tool to funnel feedback from task‑force‑hosted gatherings into staff analysis. Sanchez said staff will supply a social‑media kit (hyperlinks, visuals and copy) to help volunteers share notices.

Staff described a \"Meeting in a Box\" kit containing instructions and facilitation materials that neighborhood hosts can use to run small conversations; the kits will be available in print and electronically and translated into seven tier‑one languages, including Spanish. Alicia Dean, who leads media buying and design for the outreach effort, was introduced as coordinating paid promotion.

Task‑force members raised concerns about timing and accessibility. Several members urged evening or virtual events to reach people who work daytime hours; others emphasized extra outreach to renters and younger residents. One member asked whether the community would see staff recommendations or a blank slate during early meetings; Sanchez said staff was still determining the exact form of the research instruments but aimed to present “buckets” or headlines that would help community members comment on project types, potential funding amounts and priorities.

Sanchez and King encouraged task‑force members to forward meeting suggestions through the staff liaison to avoid duplication and to submit community feedback they hear at local events so staff can incorporate it into analysis. Sanchez said staff expects a more detailed engagement plan to be ready by mid‑March and that raw engagement data would be published when Phase 3 concludes.

The task force discussed how informal working‑group meetings should be treated for promotion. Staff said it can promote working‑group meetings and will accept input gathered by task‑force members if submitted through the liaison using the provided reporting tool.

The meeting closed this portion with staff committing to provide the task force with the engagement materials and timelines a month in advance of outreach activities, translated Meeting in a Box kits, and a social‑media toolkit for volunteer use.","City of Austin communications staff presented a three‑phase outreach and engagement plan for the 2026 bond program and asked task‑force members to help broaden outreach to renters, younger residents and people who do not typically attend daytime meetings.","actionData","errors"]

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Task force declines to recommend November 2025 climate bond after EIP briefing; staff to deliver narrowed project list

City staff lays out outreach plan for 2026 bond program, asks task force to help reach neighborhoods